Numerically Speaking: An Eating Disorder By The Numbers

















Numerically Speaking
By Carrie M. O’Connor

Two.
Pounds of dark chocolate that I ate slowly that Saturday morning while analyzing the e-vite that my ex-boyfriend, Andre, sent me.
Forty.
The pounds gained since I last saw him six months ago.
Five.
The ex-girlfriends on the 50-person invitation list.

After the last piece, I dialed my friend, Mattie.
“I’ve been invited to Andre’s 50th birthday party slash housewarming. His artist colony now has 15 members and is officially open to all lost Cincinnati artists with angst who need guidance and inspiration. And he’s invited several ex-girlfriends. But why am I surprised? They are ever-present.”
“Calm down. Stop talking so fast. Are you going?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I know a good many of these artists socially. I really should go. According to the e-vite, the colony is now on Facebook and in the local news. He’s become a celebrity.”
“Well, Jenn, we always knew he was a player. And you know how the song goes. Players only love you when they’re playing. How about we meet up to talk more about this? I’m meeting Jackie at Essencha Teahouse in half an hour. Bring your laptop.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you soon.”

I stared at the e-vite again. I frowned at the photo of the Bella Roma rose bushes blooming against the side of the white duplex. I remembered, with regret, transplanting those delicate pink blossoms three years ago. This followed the exhausting task of cleaning Andre’s former house the day after I helped him move. When I’d arrived home, I’d spent 30 minutes in the hot shower, trying to wash away the smells of Ajax, manure and sweat.
At that point, we had been going out for two months. We met at a gallery opening where he promptly invited me out for coffee, a discussion of postmodern art in Pakistan, and sex.

Sixty
Pounds that I had just lost before meeting him that summer.
Ten
Years, prior to Andre, that I had a sex partner, because I felt ashamed of my body.
Three
Dates before I went to bed with him.
The connection was insanely intense, despite the continual mention of his former girlfriends. I allowed him to speak the litany of names. Each time, a jealous fire burned through me.
There were

Six
Girlfriends whom I know about.

1. Alice. “The night before Alice moved out, she walked into the kitchen in a T-shirt without panties. I rubbed her ass, and she just melted.”
2. Jana. “Jana couldn’t achieve orgasms because of her medication.”
3. Wendy. “Wendy wouldn’t let me perform oral sex on her — you’d be surprised how often that is the case.”
4. Suzette. “Suzette was my 4-foot-10 Catholic girlfriend. She got completely drunk at the first party I took her to. But we stayed together for a couple years.”
5. Laura. “Then, the investment banker, who spoke beautiful Spanish.”
6. Stella. “Stella, the book agent. It just didn’t work out. That reminds me, I need to dig a rock out of her garden for her.”

Every time a name was mentioned, I put down the feminist theory book I was reading. While I wanted to be a strong, self-sufficient, empowered woman, I was determined to make him want me.

Twenty
The pounds that I lost while I dated him, to tack onto the 60 previous pounds I took off before meeting him, thanks to Weight Watchers.
Five Hundred
Dollars on clothes and pedicures to make myself alluring.
Three Hundred
Dollars in gifts for him. He liked gadgets. I found the self-cleaning electric shaver, the crepe pan from Crate and Barrel, the juicer.

Two weeks after I helped him move, over wine and vegetarian sushi in Ault Park, he told me that he had not felt any emotional connection during our two-month romance.
I protested.
“We’ve only been going out two months, and you’ve been working on your artist colony. Of course there’s no emotional connection. We’ve barely had time for one another.”
“Look, I want dazzling chemistry,” he’d said.
It was true that he’d had a singles ad once that said he was looking for a woman that would be like the refreshing river bank that he would never leave. I wondered what Freud or Jung would make of the flowing water image.
“I’ve seen a lot of growth in you the last two months, though. You know, in your weight and sexuality. Really, I just want to be your friend,” he said.
Looking at the park’s peonies and iris plants, I unapologetically cried.
“So, do you want to go see a movie?” he asked.
“You just dumped me!”
“Well, I do like to stay friends with all my ex-girlfriends. I’ve traveled with two of them. Slept with them in the same hotel bed with nothing happening.”
A few weeks later he called and invited me over. He proposed the friends-with-benefits clause to the newly-instated friend contract. I don’t want to be your boyfriend. But you know what I like and I know what you like. And if someone else comes along, we will stop seeing each other.
It was compelling. Perhaps I would be finally praiseworthy and redeemed in his sight.

Ten
Minutes before we were in his bedroom.
Three
Nights a month, on the average.
Two
Years before I ended it.

Sex. Silence. Sex. Silence.
I couldn’t take the silence.
I pushed the memories away and focused on getting dressed for the teahouse. I looked in the full-length mirror. I had on my standard attire — jeans, a black T-shirt, and a strand of faux pearls. At 40, I probably should have cared about makeup, but I didn’t. I slicked my hair back into a tight chignon.
I threw a bracelet at the mirror in frustration. I hated my body. I wanted to apply a paring knife to my pear-shaped body. The e-vite only renewed my discomfort with my body image. I tried to comfort myself with the fact that the corticosteroid medication I took for my adrenal problems caused weight gain.

The drive to Essenchia Teahouse and Pleasant Ridge was anything but agreeable. It was a fiercely raining day. No one was on the street except a group of Orthodox Jewish men dressed in black going to morning shul and walking on the left. The scene had a Renoir feel to it, and “The Umbrellas” came to mind. I realized that I really missed discussing art with Andre.
When I entered the teahouse, I found Mattie and Jackie sitting at a large table near a shelf displaying glass cups and white tea pots. I put my netbook down.
“I’ll have a house salad, no dressing, and iced China-breakfast tea, please,” I said to the slim server, noting with envy she was wearing a tiny, white linen Edwardian camisole, which complemented her figure perfectly.
“Only a salad?” Mattie asked, sipping her Earl Grey with lemon.
“Yes. Unfortunately, I had a date with chocolate this morning,” I said.
“Oh, dear,” said Jackie, my psychologist friend. “Just eating, right?”
She was delicately trying to ask if I had purged, as well.
“You know my M.O. I just eat. And get fatter. I can’t stop binging, but I hate how I look.”
“You are on fat-inducing meds, too, Jennifer,” Mattie said, in a comforting tone.
“Yeah, but we all know what the issues really are here. Anyway, I’m back in diet mode,” I said.
“Ah, restricting after binging. Really healthy,” Jackie said.
“I feel like I have to do something. We all know how obsessed with weight Andre is. He weighs himself every day and graphs it. He’s an obsessed athlete who hates fat,” I said.
“You’re curvy,” Mattie said.
“Fat. And in need of a butt bra. He likes slender women with nice asses.”
“They do sell lifters now. And padded panties. Quite the fashion,” Mattie said.
“Please, enough body talk,” Jackie said.
“Easy enough for you, Miss Size 2,” I said.
“So, let’s see the e-vite,” Mattie said.
I turned on the computer and promptly displayed the page.
“Nice colors considering the limited design possibilities,” Mattie said.
“And these are all the ex-girlfriends. You’ve heard about them before,” I said.
Jackie rolled her eyes. “Right. He has always been the stud wanting to scatter his seed. So, why do you want to torture yourself going to this party?” Jackie said.
“There’s still something. A connection,” I said.
I crossed my arms tightly across my chest and stared down.
“Hello? I do this for a living. I’m giving you my assessment, free of charge. He’s a narcissist. The best way to handle a narcissist is to stroke his ego and get the hell away. Stay away from him,” Jackie said.
“I think you just want to reform a bad boy,” said Mattie, who had just broken off a romance with a kinky painter who liked to be tied up with silk scarves.
“I don’t think this guy can be reformed unless he hits the therapy couch. And I’ll bet you anything that he won’t. Don’t go to this party,” Jackie said.
“I’ll think about it. I guess part of it is that I’m curious about the new place, too,” I said.
“That’s an entirely different issue. Believe me, you date him, you date the whole colony. It’s worse than college. He needs that colony to feel good about himself. He likes to have people admiring him,” Jackie said.
“And Lord knows, his women have. Anyway, no one is even curious? No one wants to see this experiment?” I asked.
“No thanks,” Mattie said.

The food arrived: cold smoked salmon sandwiches, lemon curd crepes, leafy greens, triple-chocolate brownies. The conversation shifted to the mundane — removing pet stains from the carpet, intrusive mothers, summer vacation plans. An hour passed, and the server cleared the table.
I thought about all the eateries Andre and I had visited. Italian, Ethiopian, Mexican, vegetarian. We would go home and watch DVDs. I liked foreign; he liked action. We took turns ordering on the Netflix account. We would begin making out the minute the credits hit the screen.
We finished the meal and paid the check.
“Well, I’ll be around next weekend, if you change your mind about the party,” Jackie said.
“Thanks,” I said, suddenly grateful for my friends.
Mattie and Jackie stayed and walked around the teahouse to look at the tea cups on sale. I walked outside and found that the rain had stopped. I steered my car toward the mall and Lane Bryant, which sold fashionable clothes for the woman who reached the unbearable size of 14 and above. I perused the racks and found a pretty chiffon blue halter dress. Andre liked blue. Elastic waist. Perfect. I took it to the counter and dropped $100 that I really could not spend and went home.
When I got home, the light on the answering machine was blinking.
“Jenn, it’s Andre. Just wanted to say that I hope that you can make the party. Should be a lot of fun.”
I smiled instantly. He still thought of me. Getting out the phone book, I found the number for A Salon Named Desire and set a makeup appointment for the morning of the party.
That week, I ate hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, grapefruit, lean meat and Diet Coke. This was the first diet that my mother gave me, when I was 14. I spent an hour in the gym every night leading up to the party.
Finally, it was Friday. I took an Ambien at night, because I was too nervous to sleep. Nestled against the white cotton down pillows, I fell asleep quickly.
Bon fires everywhere against the Irish countryside. Everyone has had their fill of ale and game. We have all been smudged and purified with juniper smoke. Andre’s ex-girlfriends and I are dancing like MTV stars around him. I walk forward and bow. “Thank you for choosing me, though I know that I am not great like the others you have chosen.” He cups his hands around my chin and smiles. He walks around the circle, kissing each woman on the cheek.
I woke up with pain in my chest. Sebastian, my 18-pound cat, stood on my torso and demanded in loud, hoarse meows to be fed. The vet wants him on a diet, too. The red numbers on the digital alarm clock told me that it was 9 a.m. I meant to get up earlier.
After preparing a strong cup of coffee, I bathed and put the halter dress on. The phone rang.
“Jenn, it’s Nat. I hope you’re coming? I haven’t seen you in ages, and I want to introduce you to my new boyfriend.”
Natalie, a print maker, had gone out on double dates with Andre and me. I always hated double dating with Andre. I felt like I needed to win the approval of his friends, so dinner was never enjoyable.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Wonderful.”
I drove to A Salon Named Desire to have my makeup done. My stomach shifted uneasily as I imagined the dialogue that I would have with Andre and others. When I got to stop signs, I practiced smiling into the mirror.
“I need to look great for a party this morning,” I explained to the young girl at the salon who called herself Zella. She had tattoos depicting jungle plants and birds around both arms. Her nose was pierced.
“I’m going to use the moss green and lemon yellow. I think these will really make your eyes pop,” she said.
“I really need to impress an old boyfriend,” I said.
“And you will!” she said.

Thirty
Dollars for the makeup job.
Fifty
Dollars for two eyeshadow palettes.
Sixty
Minutes to be transformed into beauty.

My confidence was restored as I drove downtown listening to Pink. The rain was starting again, but I didn’t care. Andre would have to move his party inside. I turned the corner and slammed on the breaks. Cars were lined up on both sides of the road.
A man lay on the ground, his motorcycle on its side half a block ahead. I pulled over to the side. I walked over to the scene where a thick crowd was starting to gather.
“He’s in some kind of a seizure. He just came right off the bike,” a woman with a red cap said.
“Is there someone here with medical knowledge?” a voice asked.
“I’ve called 911,” an older woman with short gray hair called.
I stared at the 1980 Wide-Glide motorcycle and at the motorcyclist with his black helmet and boots. My heart started to race. I had no feeling below my knees. Heat gathered around my head. Sweat began to pour from my forehead. I kept pushing the droplets away.
“Are you all right, dear?” the older woman asked me.
“Fine. I’m just going to sit in my car.”
When I got inside, I locked all the doors. And breathed deeply. I didn’t like motorcycles.

Eighteen
Years ago, three guys on Harleys raped me and my two friends.
Three
Weeks later I determined that I was pregnant.
Two
Months later I had an abortion.

We kept silent because drunk girls partying with bad boys do.
I can’t handle the silence.
The police and medical personnel arrived to assist the injured cyclist. The sirens cut through me. I looked at the clock. I was completely numb and unaware of time. After the police let us leave the accident scene, I stopped by the nearest convenience store.

Twenty-five
Hostess cupcakes were unraveled and popped into my mouth within minutes.
One
Quart of milk helped me wash them down.
Thirty
Minutes later, I arrived at the intake area of the Eating Disorders Unit at Rogers Memorial Hospital.

A rail-thin girl sat to the side, rocking back and forth. Desperate Housewives blasted from the flat-screen TV on the wall. Somehow, this broadcasted display of dysfunction seemed appropriate. The nurse who handled my case finally called me into a room to interview me. She was three times my size. So much for your corporate wellness program, I thought.
“When was your last binge?” she asked, writing notes in a file across the table.
“Today.”
“And it was?”
“Twenty-five cupcakes.”
The other questions were fired off in succession. Year of first menses. Date of last menses. Intervals of binging. Lowest weight. Highest weight. Present weight. Height. Telephone numbers of doctors, relatives, employers, insurance companies.
Intake registered me in the outpatient program. I started the next day.

Four
Hours with therapists and dieticians.
Three
Times a week.
Three Hundred and Thirty
Dollars a day.

I put it on my credit card.
After three months, I went a week without binging. I stopped calling Andre. I only stole looks at his Facebook page on occasion. And I gathered my best friends to tell them about my past.
I broke the silence.


Carrie M. O'Connor earned a master of arts in journalism and communications from Marquette University. She has worked as a reporter and freelance writer in Honolulu and Milwaukee. Recently, she was a guest essayist on WUWM and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Her fiction has appeared in Bamboo Ridge, Bartleby Snopes and Auscult, a literary journal of the Medical College of Wisconsin. You can read more from Carrie at her blog, Heartland Living on a Budget http://www.heartlandlivingonabudget.com
  This piece was published in Wild Violet literary magazine in September, 2011.

*See sidebar menu for Eating Disorders and Body Image submissions.

Picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/aschultz/3341941595/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Eating Disorders News And Views October 1st, 2011

 
Protect Our Girls and Pass the Self-Esteem Act

The simple fact is there's an epidemic crisis of confidence affecting girls and women, and both its causes and effects are going largely ignored and unspoken in and by the mainstream.

We're asking for support to pass federal legislation requiring advertising and editorial that's meaningfully changed the human form through photoshopping or airbrushing to carry "Truth in Advertising" labels. The labels will simply state that the models shown have been altered. No judgments, no morality, just clarity. Clarity that may help address and stem these horrifying numbers:

- 42% of girls in grades 1-3 want to be thinner
- 51% of 9-10 year old girls feel better about themselves when they're dieting
- 53% of 13 year old girls are unhappy with their bodies; by the time they're 17, 78% of them will be
- By the time they're 17, these girls have seen 250,000 TV commercials telling them they should be a decorative object, sex object or a body size they can never achieve (actually, Donna gave me this statistic, so no doubt you;re quite familiar.)
- 7 million girls and women under 25 suffer from eating disorders
- 80% of women feel worse about themselves after seeing a beauty ad. $20B is spent on beauty marketing in the US annually. That's a lot of money being spent making women feel worse about themselves.
To Sign and Read in full: Self-Esteem-Act


Research & Treatment for Teens with Eating Problems

Columbia University Medical Center

About the Study
An MRI Study of Adolescents with Bulimia Nervosa

We are interested in learning why some people develop eating disorders. We are recruiting girls (ages 12-19) who have a problem with binge-eating and purging and girls who do not.

Participation in this study involves interviews, games and puzzles, as well as taking pictures of your brain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There are no known health hazards associated with MRI.

Treatment, free of charge, will be provided for girls in need. Compensation (up to $400) will also be provided for participation. Parental consent is required for girls under 18 years of age.
Read in full: Teens with ED Problems


Proposed Legislation: Warning Labels On Photoshopped Ads?

A newly proposed piece of legislation proposes to mandate that all advertisements whose images have been altered with Photoshop bear a warning label alerting the public to the practice. Husband and wife team Seth, a former CAA Agent and Global CMO of Live Nation, and Eva Matlins, co-founders of online women’s magazine Off Our Chests see the modification of women’s bodies without it being made clear “a wrongful act that’s led to increasing cases of emotional disorders.”

The answer, they believe, is government action. “Similar conversations have taken over the past few years,” they write in a press release. “However, to date, no action has taken place in the U.S.” In response, the Matlins propose The Self Esteem Act in order to encourage government and media to work together to address the body issues plaguing women and girls in the country.
Read in full: Warning Labels


Sexy Anna Rexia: Eating Disorders As Machisma

It’s almost October and you know what that means: Here come the goblins, ghosts, witches, and sluts!

The sleaziness of women’s (and little girls’) Halloween costumes has become an annual gripe for mommies and feminists.

But my friend Jeannine Gailey, PhD, a sociologist at Texas Christian University, clued me in on what might be the most appalling costume ever created: Anna Rexia, the sexy side of a life-threatening eating disorder.

Yikes.
Read in full: Anna Rexia 


Somerset Woman Shortlisted to Win Grant to Help People With Eating Disorders

A WEDMORE woman is in the running to win a £10,000 grant to help people with eating disorders – but needs your vote.
Jane Smith supported two of her daughters through anorexia and in 2004 set up the Anorexia Bulimia Care’s befriending service, which supports families affected by an eating disorder via the telephone or email.
Now cosmetic giant Avon has shortlisted Jane in its Hello Tomorrow Fund 2011, along with five other finalists from across the country. Jane said she was delighted to be shortlisted and the money could make a real difference to the charity, which receives thousands of calls each month.
She said: “I speak to around 2,000 people a year personally. The £10,000 grant from Avon would make a real difference to my wish to develop an Anorexia Bulimia Care’s befriending service. I ask local people to vote for our project now and help make my dream a reality.”
Jane’s daughters suffered eating disorders aged 11 and 13, but have since fully recovered.
Jane said: “Our whole world turned upside down. We were a happy, loving family and then we were suddenly plunged into a nightmare. You can’t force someone to eat against their will.
“Our 11-year-old lost a third of her body weight over eight weeks and had to be tube fed for two weeks, for 24 hours a day.”
Read in full: Shortlisted


R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

I recently found out that September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Wow! A month to honor fat kids! Way to go!!!
OOOPS!
Sorry. It’s a month devoted to ending childhood obesity. And the state of Georgia has a poster child. Or should I say poster children?
I suppose it pays to have clout. After all, if the First Lady of the United States wants to declare a month after her personal pet project, who am I to complain? If I were the First Lady, I may declare a month after something close to my heart as well. I just MAY declare MAY as: Everyone Loves Everyone Else No Matter What They Look Like Month!  (ELEENMWTLLM!).
Read in full: R.E.S.P.E.C.T.


Heidi Diaz, Kimkins creator, is one of this years inductees into the 2011Rogues Gallery.

The Rogues Gallery was designed to hold people like Heidi Diaz.  She had no problem being the first person to snuggle up to the otherwise reviled Kevin Trudeau.  She duped people out of money, she lied about a diet that was found to be unhealthy and has since modified the diet and continues to try to sell it.  She asked people to send her cheques when the court ordered her Paypal account money because she claimed that was the only money she had.  She lied so often and so poorly it is amazing that she is not sitting in jail....She is an unrepentant con woman who continues to operate her website, but now she has finally added the court ordered warning to her page.  It is in the barely visible colour of off-white on a white background.

Seriously, her own webpage says she has engaged in false advertising fraudulent business practices.
Read in full:  Heidi Diaz Rogues Gallery


Dieting NZ Women, Girls 'Losing Chance of Children

Kiwi women and girls are dieting their way out of a chance to have children, says a leading fertility specialist.
Dr Stella Milsom says young women should slow down, eat more and exercise moderately - or pay "too great a price".
The Auckland Fertility Associates endocrinologist said she was sick of reading stories trumpeting the weight loss of the same celebrities who visited her clinic for treatment.
"It really frustrates me when I see my patients written up in the women's magazines when I know they've got the bones of an 80-year-old."
Read in full: Losing Chance of Children

 
Physician Focus: Eating Disorders on the Rise

As many as 10 million females and 1 million males in the U.S. are affected by eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. These conditions are often hard to detect, carry great shame, and present severe physical and mental health problems for patients. Many of those afflicted are young adolescents, teenagers and young adults.

The vast majority of patients with anorexia and bulimia some 85-95 percent are women. Binge eating disorder affects about 2 percent of all adults up to 4 million Americans, affecting slightly more women than men. Recent studies have discovered an increasing incidence of these disorders among males. The peak onset of these conditions occurs during late puberty and in the late teenage and early adult years.

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a refusal to maintain a normal body weight through self-induced starvation. Bulimia nervosa consists of episodes of binge eating consuming large amounts of food in a short amount of time in a way that feels out of control followed by actions to compensate for overeating, such as vomiting, restricting food or the use of laxatives. Those suffering from anorexia and bulimia have common traits: they fear gaining weight, are fixated on losing weight, and are very dissatisfied with their bodies. Binge eating disorder consists of consuming large amounts of food but without the compensatory actions to purge one's system; it's often associated with obesity.

Medicine has yet to pinpoint the specific causes of these illnesses, but we do know that certain factors contribute to them. Among them are cultural issues, such as the pressure to be thin or fit a certain body size or image, and stressful psychological situations, such as traumatic events in childhood, troubled personal relationships, or major changes in life.
Read in full: Eating Disorders Rise


Is Your Child Cutting?

Self-inflicted behaviors include cutting and burning oneself without the intent of suicide. It is a new trend that is becoming glorified especially on the internet. Here's how to identify such behavior and how to help your child.

It appears that there are a plethora of websites dedicated for the instruction and glorification of self-inflicted behaviors (SIB). One research study examined 100 videos on the internet regarding SIB and found that there were 2 million hits on some of these websites. 80 percent of these videos had no viewer restrictions. 58 percent had no warning of content. The question stands, “Do these types of websites glorify and encourage self-abuse?” With the amount of activity on these websites, it would seem that non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has developed a cult following.

Here are some facts about NSSI:

1. Cutting and burning usually occurs in adolescent females with the average age of 16.

2. The cutting and burning usually occurs on arms, legs and torso. These areas are easily covered by bracelets and clothing.
Read in full: Is Your Child Cutting?

sources linked above

Recovery Quote Of The Week: September 30, 2011






















The tree is more than first a seed, then a stem, then a living trunk, and then dead timber. The tree is a slow, enduring force straining to win the sky.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry


#more Recovery Quotes of the Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes can be found in the sidebar menu




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Recovery Links: As We Near The End Of Recovery Month 2011























Though National Recovery Month 2011 is coming to a close, the importance of recovery remains a daily focus. Below you will find some helpful links within Weighing The Facts to aid you with some of the aspects of recovery.


Reach Out for Help

Help Hotlines, Websites, and Organizations:

Eating Disorders

Males with EDs

Mental Health

Self-Harm

Suicide Prevention

Domestic Violence 

Sexual Abuse



Tools

Relapse Prevention

Self-Soothing Techniques 

Using Affirmations 

Morning Recovery Affirmations

Bedtime Recovery Affirmations
 

NEDA Tool Kits

When You Can't Afford Treatment   


Information

ED Information Links


*For more ED info please see sidebar drop down menu "ED Information."

Recovery Inspiration 

In the sidebar menu you will find drop down lists that link to Inspirational Recovery Quotes, Recovery Quotes of The Week, and Submissions (poems, stories, and personal accounts) by readers.

Recovery Is Possible! 



pic source:http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajc1/4659799248/sizes/o/in/photostream/



Affirmations For Recovery: New Pages






I'd like to introduce you to two new pages on Weighing The Facts: Morning Affirmations for Recovery, and Bedtime Affirmations for Recovery.

Both pages can be accessed by clicking the two icons located in the sidebar and pictured here. They will be updated regularly.

Affirmations are the statements we repeat to ourselves daily. They help change our inner talk and, in turn, our lives. They replace negative self-talk, set the tone for the day, and inspire us. Positive affirmations are a powerful tool for recovery. 


If you're unsure how to use affirmations you can find out more here: Using Affirmations

 
Come join us on Facebook for daily affirmations!

©Weighing The Facts

picture credits can be found on the above pages.

Weight Stigma Awareness Week 2011



Today marks the first day of BEDA's (Binge Eating Disorder Association) first annual Weight Stigma Awareness Week, which runs from September 26th to the 30th.

What is weight stigma?

Weight stigma, also known as weightism, weight bias, and weight-based discrimination, is discrimination or stereotyping based on one's weight, especially very large or thin people. The term is a misnomer as the stigma arises from the condition of being obese or schadenfreude arising from the suffering from the disease, and not the mass of the individual stigmatized in this manner. Weight stigma reflects internalized attitudes towards the obese that affects how these people—the targets of bias—are treated.

A person who is stigmatized possesses a weight that leads to a devalued social identity, and is often ascribed stereotypes or other labels denoting a perceived deviance which can lead to prejudice and discrimination. Common, “weight-based”, stereotypes are that obese persons are lazy, lack self-discipline, and have poor willpower, but also possess defects of intelligence and character. Common weight-based stereotypes of non-obese persons are that non-obese persons are unattractive, anorexic, unhealthy, diet and/or exercise excessively. There is no experimental or scientific evidence to indicate that these stereotypes are true, although pervasive social portrayals of obesity create and reinforce biased attitudes.
Wikipedia

Children

Weight Bias and Bullying in Schools:

Weight stigma, including weight-based teasing, bullying, and social isolation, is a common occurrence among the lives of children and adolescents. Although overweight and obese youth experience higher levels of stigma, underweight youth also experience weight stigma.
Recent research shows that weight-based victimization in the school setting is highly prevalent, occurs across all grade levels, and is more common than other forms of teasing and bullying. Despite its prevalence, some overweight and obese students report that school-based policies to prohibit victimization are not being enforced.

Numerous studies have documented the adverse consequences weight stigma has on the psychological and physical health of youth. Children and adolescents who experience weight stigma are at increased risk of depression, anxiety, poor body image, suicidal ideation, as well as disordered eating behaviors, binge eating behaviors and avoidance of physical activity. Weight stigma has also been found to be associated with poorer educational outcomes and increased school absences.
Research has shown that peers and teachers, along with parents, are the primary sources of weight stigma experienced by youth. Thus, schools are an appropriate and important venue for environmental level policies and interventions to reduce weight stigma and victimization. School-based interventions aimed at changing the social environment of the school (i.e., norms regarding weight-related harassment), have been shown to reduce the amount of stigma experienced by youth.
Obesity Society: Youth Weight Bias and Bullying in Schools

When I was younger the rules were: thin is pretty, fat is ugly.From the tender age of two until I was 12, adults seemed to be in awe of my thin body. I had one neighbor count my ribs every time I saw her, and another neighbor who, when I complained that I wanted rounder hips, said, “Trust me, one day you’ll miss those hip bones.
The body ‘compliments’ stopped when I entered puberty and I gained weight and fat –natural life processes that I didn’t think of as “bad” until others around me started to tell me that this new weight looked “bad” on me. One day my mom called me her “stocky daughter” and I was mortified.
Because of comments like those, I spent the next 16 years of my life on diets, exercising and speaking self‐loathing body thoughts. And for 16 years I denied my body its genetically natural weight and shape.
It was a miserable existence.
Kathleen MacDonald: BEDA Stories PDF

Adults

The Workplace:

There is clear evidence of weight stigma and bias in multiple aspects of daily life for obese individuals. Negative perceptions of obese persons exist in employment settings where obese employees are viewed as less competent, lazy and lacking in self-discipline by their co-workers and employers. These attitudes can have a negative impact on wages, promotions and decisions about employment status for obese employees.
Research studies also show that obese applicants are less likely to be hired than thinner applicants, despite having identical job qualifications. There are also increasing legal cases emerging where obese employees have been fired or suspended because of their weight, despite demonstrating good job performance and even though their body weight was unrelated to their job responsibilities.
OAC: Understanding the Negative Stigma of Obesity and its Consequences

Discrimination against overweight people--particularly women--is as common as racial discrimination, according to a study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at Yale University.

"These results show the need to treat weight discrimination as a legitimate form of prejudice, comparable to other characteristics like race or gender that already receive legal protection," said Rebecca Puhl, research scientist and lead author.

The study documented the prevalence of self-reported weight discrimination and compared it to experiences of discrimination based on race and gender among a nationally representative sample of adults aged 25- to 74-years-old. The data was obtained from the National Survey of Midlife Development in the United States.

The study also revealed that women are twice as likely as men to report weight discrimination and that weight discrimination in the workplace and interpersonal mistreatment due to obesity is common.
Science Daily
 

In Healthcare:

Unfortunately, weight stigma also exists in healthcare settings. Negative attitudes about overweight patients have been reported by physicians, nurses, dietitians, psychologists, and medical students. Research shows that even healthcare professionals who specialize in the treatment of obesity hold negative attitudes.
It is not yet known how bias among healthcare professionals affects the quality of care they provide to obese patients. However, some studies have indicated that obese patients are reluctant to seek medical care, and may be more likely to delay important preventative healthcare services and cancel medical appointments. One reason for these experiences may be weight bias in healthcare settings.
OAC: Understanding the Negative Stigma of Obesity and its Consequences

“I grew up with a Mom that was morbidly obese from compulsive overeating. Through out her life she experienced a lot of hurt and discrimination because of her weight. Discrimination and plain ignorance ultimately killed her. In May of 2008 she was admitted to the hospital with shortness of breathe. She received a blood transfusion and seemed to be recovering. The doctors did not know why she needed a transfusion. One doctor thought a bone marrow test should be done but then quickly dismissed the idea because of my Mom's size. The doctor even joked about her being to big...laughing that she (the doctor) was so petite & getting to my Mom's hip would be too hard because of her size. In the end that test would of proved beneficial. Less then a year later my Mom died suddenly from complications to amlyoidosis. A disease that would have been detected with a bone marrow test.”
Fran Erbe: BEDA stories PDF
Has weight stigma touched your life? I invite you to share your story on Weighing The Facts. Email me at mrsmenopausal@yahoo.com.


picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/estenh/4163978077/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Women in Advertising: Killing Us Softly

 
"Jean Kilbourne's pioneering work helped develop and popularize the study of gender representation in advertising. Her award-winning Killing us Softly films have influenced millions of college and high school students across two generations and on an international scale. In this important new film, Kilbourne reviews if and how the image of women in advertising has changed over the last 20 years."

"With wit and warmth, Kilbourne uses over 160 ads and TV commercials to critique advertising's image of women. By fostering creative and productive dialogue, she invites viewers to look at familiar images in a new way, that moves and empowers them to take action."

Thanks to adiosbarbie.com, where I came across this video.

Recovery Quote Of The Week: September 15, 2011

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If I can see it, then I can do it, if I just believe it, there's nothing to it ... I believe I can fly.
R. Kelly


See sidebar menu for more Recovery Quotes of the Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes

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Spotlight: Eating Disorders Poetry



Spotlight

You thought you’d done it,
And pushed me off stage,
You thought you’d beaten me,
And locked this cage.

I know you’ve been there. Watching,
Waiting for my fall,
I’ve heard you sometimes,
Singing your tempting call.

Your idea of a perfect duet,
Lured me straight in,
You waited for my loneliness,
So your dance could begin.

You knew I’d always heard you,
Always. Such a long time ago,
Your rules were so familiar,
But I was happy with my solo.

You’re the girl I could hear,
Telling me I’m no good,
And the hands that embodied me,
What I shouldn’t eat, what I should.

I’ll give it to you though,
You’ve waited such a long time,
To push me off my stage,
And encapsulate what’s mine.

That’s what you do though,
You wait on the side,
You waited until I was quiet
And stepped in with pride.

My thoughts and your rules,
Take over control,
You’re constant abuse
Dents and damages my soul.

You knew I was unhappy
Dancing this stage on my own,
Your whispers became louder
And your seeds were sewn.

Despite your dance being clear,
I was a fool to believe,
The control was mine,
When you were so near.

Every mirror, every picture,
Every thought, every meal
You’d tell me it’s my fault,
And how I should feel.

As you came a little closer,
I accepted you in,
I welcomed your friendship,
And let your control begin.

You allowed me to rest,
And stop playing my game,
All the things I hated
But had stayed the same.

You showed me your dance,
And sang me your song,
It all looked so perfect,
I must have been wrong.

I felt so guilty,
For keeping you so long,
Waiting side of stage,
Quietly singing your song.

Your dance looked so perfect,
And your song so sweet,
Your rules, my obsessions
Your shoes on my feet.

Having you on stage,
Dancing my dance,
Your rules, your numbers,
Id given you a chance.

You shared my stage,
And followed my steps,
But you stole my light,
And forward you crept.

But enough is enough girl,
I am awakening again,
I can see your faults
And have felt your pain.

Your drugs are wearing off,
And your feet look sore,
I can see you’re struggling
Towards the stage door.

Your control is slipping,
And your time is up,
Your dance is becoming weaker
And the box office is shut.

It’s time for my solo,
My moment to shine,
So tie up your shoes, Ana,
This spotlight is mine.

By Sarah Louise Robertson


*See sidebar menu for more ED and Body Image poetry and writing submissions 

Be Featured on Weighing The Facts: share your eating disorders and body image poetry and writings


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We Will Never Forget: The 10 Year Anniversary of 9-11


September 11th, 2011 marks 10 years since the attacks. I will never forget where I was or what I was doing that morning. I will never forget the disbelief that was so soon replaced with overwhelming fear, horror, and sadness. So many innocent lives lost. So much tragedy. So much bravery. That day changed the lives of every American and more.

To all who lost a loved one, to those who found their lives changed that day, I offer my condolences and my prayers for peace. To all who came to the aid of those in need, I offer my thanks.

We Will Never Forget.



Please see also this touching video tribute: I Can't Cry Hard Enough

God Bless America! 



 

Eating Disorders Poetry: Pray For Me

 *Warning: Poem may be triggering


Pray For Me

this isn't one of those poems about recovery
this isn't one of those poems about how beautiful I know I am
this isn't one of those poems about how I overcame the odds
this is one of those poems about how I didn't
I spent my life trying to fit into this picture
Aryan brothers and sisters standing
5 foot 6
115 pounds
beautiful
I am twenty years old and I long for the androgyny of adolescence
I wish I could will away the curves on these hips
the prominent bulges of double D tits
and pants size weighing in the double digits
I know I was meant to be "curvy"
my body was built to wield the twists and turns of a full-figure woman
and standing at 5 foot 3
weighing 173 pounds
I look every bit the plus size woman
that was meant to reside in this skin
but god
I don't want it
bless another with this body so vivacious
and give me something devoid of interest
I want flat-chested brilliance and a size two waist
I used to be beautiful, you know
a long time ago, when I gave up living
I starved myself for just a little feeling
and I guess I did it wrong
because I can never go back
I have to eat now
every bite filled with resentment as I force it past these lips
but I do it because I have to
I look at you and I pray to god that I can one day stop
stop the madness reeling inside me that prays for just a little death
just a little decay
a taste of the impossible
for these improbable lips
screaming for mercy and begging forgiveness
I want to be healthy for you
but some days it's hard to breathe
cold sweats cover these sheets as you slumber away
pretending that I'm okay
some days it bothers me how you don't seem to notice
but other days
I'm glad you can't watch me fall
it's selfish, the way I torture myself
because I know I drag you with me
but I've spent a lifetime tearing myself down
and I'm not sure I know how to stop
but for you, baby
I'm willing to try
throw myself into an empty sea
where empathy used to live
and I'll wait for my salvation
By Alana Rosen

*See sidebar menu for additional, original poetry/writing submissions.
*Share your ED/BI writings and be featured on Weighing The Facts

picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/milkthin/4419662652/

Recovery Quote Of The Week: September 8, 2011

click image to enlarge

Be as a bird perched on a frail branch that she feels bending beneath her, still she sings away all the same, knowing she has wings.
Victor Hugo


picsource:http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwilmore/5484009533/

National Recovery Month 2011: Join The Voices For Recovery


September is National Recovery Month 2011.

Recovery Is Possible!

 "Recovery Month is a national observance that educates Americans on mental health, addiction, and recovery support services and how they can enable those with mental and/or substance use disorders to live healthy and rewarding lives. This observance highlights individuals who have reclaimed their lives and are living happily and healthily in long-term recovery; it also honors the treatment and recovery service providers who make recovery possible. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover"
National Recovery Month


Share you recovery experience with others. Let them know what recovery means to you and how it has changed your life.  Spread the word and the hope.

Join The Voices For Recovery! 
Would you like to share your recovery story and experiences on Weighing The Facts? If so, please send me an email to MrsMenopausal@yahoo.com.

Recovery Quote Of The Week: August 31, 2011

Click picture to see larger version.
What do you first do when you learn to swim? You make mistakes, do you not? And what happens? You make other mistakes, and when you have made all the mistakes you possibly can without drowning - and some of them many times over - what do you find? That you can swim? Well - life is just the same as learning to swim! Do not be afraid of making mistakes, for there is no other way of learning how to live!
Alfred Adler

*See sidebar menus for more Recovery Quotes of the Week, and Inspirational Recovery Quotes


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Eating Disorders News and Views: August 2011


Anorexics Lack Sense of Belonging, Study Finds
news.com.au

RECOVERING from anorexia nervosa is so difficult for many sufferers because the eating disorder satisfies an intense need to belong, an Australian researcher says.

Social anthropologist Megan Warin believes many anorexics might not seek treatment because they find the disorder incredibly seductive.

Based on her work with people who have the eating disorder, the Adelaide University professor has found that anorexics often lack a sense of belonging and feel disconnected from society.

By controlling their eating, they end up belonging to a group of people who are essentially successful at dieting.

"Anorexia is very empowering for people in the early stages of the illness," she told AAP.

"In fact, they don't see it as an illness, they see it as a lifestyle.

"It's unusual because it's an illness they want to have.
Read Lack Sense of Belonging in full


Lightlake Therapeutics Inc. Set to Begin Phase II Clinical Trials of Binge Eating Disorder Treatment
Market Watch

LONDON, ENGLAND, Aug 24, 2011 (Filing Services Canada via COMTEX) -- Lightlake Therapeutics Inc. (LLTP - OTCBB),("Lightlake" or "the "Company"), an early stage biopharmaceutical company currently developing a nasal spray for the treatment of overweight and obese patients with Binge Eating Disorder, today announced that its patient testing stage of the Phase II clinical trials will start August 26th, 2011

Dr. Roger Crystal, CEO of Lightlake commented, "We are excited to commence the definitive stage of testing of a product that we believe will be a solution to a disease thought to affect a significant proportion of obese and overweight patients today. We recently completed stability testing in an effort to ensure that our nasal spray adheres to internationally recognised safety standards in delivering an effective treatment. Moreover, we have an excellent control group in place, as we were able to select 138 patients from over 900 applicants wanting to participate in our trials in Helsinki. Dr. David Sinclair, our Chief Scientific Officer, revolutionized the way we treat alcoholism and drug addiction through his research into opioid antagonists, and we are confident that in working with him, we can develop an opioid antagonist derived nasal spray for the treatment of those with Binge Eating Disorder."
Read Clinical Trials in full


Study Links Obesity to Brain Disorder
news.com.au

IT seems an odd idea, but scientists believe giving obese people the same psychological counselling as those with anorexia nervosa could help their weight battle.

The Australian scientists came up with the theory after discovering that although obese people and anorexics weigh in at opposite ends of the scales, they share a similar condition affecting the brain.

Both groups have executive function disorders (EFD), which means they have problems organising their daily lives.

Previous studies have linked anorexia to EFD, with scientists pointing to the rigidity and tight control those with the eating disorder exert over not just food but their entire lives as evidence of the brain disorder.
Read Obesity/Brain Disorder in full


Psychiatrist Supports Controversial Diet Book for Kids
Fox News

Maggie Goes on a Diet, a new book by children's author Paul Michael Kramer, is drawing fire from those who believe it inappropriately focuses children on their weight and, by doing so, could lead to eating disorders. In the book, Maggie, a 14-year-old girl who is very overweight and has a negative self-image goes on a diet, works hard at it, loses weight and becomes a soccer star at school. She likes herself better, so the story ends happily-ever-after.

I support Kramer's book. With childhood obesity rates at 17 percent of all children and adolescents (per the Centers for Disease Control), a figure three times that one generation ago, it's time to start teaching kids to control their appetites. It's really that simple.

Nutritionists and child psychologists who charge that Kramer's book will cause eating disorders presume that telling children to eat healthily—even if that means eating less and exercising—will make them sick. This is akin to suggesting that if we advise them to abstain from, or simply even limit, sexual activity that they will become sexually repressed and suffer from a sexual disorder. I don't buy that—at all.
Read Psychiatrist Supports in full
Here's my post about Maggie Goes On A Diet


Sheppard Pratt Programs to Raise Eating Disorder Awareness
The Towerlight

In response to the growing number of Americans suffering from a diagnosable eating disorder, The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt will hold Expanded College Outreach Programs to raise awareness.

According to the American Psychological Association, at least five million Americans suffer from a diagnosable eating disorder. Studies from the APA Public Interest Government Relations Office found that women are more prone to eating disorders than men, particularly college-aged women.

Jennifer Moran, a staff psychologist at Sheppard Pratt’s Center for Eating Disorders, will serve as the college liaison for the college outreach programs. She said the need to raise eating disorder awareness is imperative.
Read Sheppard Pratt Programs in full


The Meaning Of Balance For Body Image
By Margarita Tartakovsky, MS

In April, I interviewed a researcher about attaining a work-life balance. Her first words to me were: There’s no such thing as balance.

And trying to reach a so-called balance is akin to reaching perfection. In other words, it’s not going to happen, and we’re going to drive ourselves insane along the way.

(Here’s the piece if you’re interested.)

Both Christie and Anna wrote thought-provoking posts also questioning the idea of balance. (By the way, I loved Ashley’s post on balance, too.)

But when people say balance, I think what they typically mean is a happy medium or not residing on either side of the spectrum. At least that’s the way I view balance.

With body image, I see a deeply negative body image at one end of the spectrum – where you hate your body, ignore its signals and rarely look after it – and an unrealistically positive body image at the other – where you shoo away every negative, yucky thought, deny your feelings and become the Pollyanna of body positivity.
Read Meaning Of Balance in full


Editor Slammed for Criticising 'Fat Models'
9 news

A prominent Australian fashion writer has been slammed for accusing Myer of using models who were "too fat" in its plus-size runway show.

Damien Woolnough, fashion editor at The Australian, published an article in which he argued: "Big can be beautiful but fat should not be in fashion."

Yesterday's Myer show featured women ranging from size 14 to size 22 and internationally renowned model Robin Lawley even sashayed down the catwalk.

Despite backlash from body image experts, Woolnough stood by his comments when interviewed by Nine News but said he never meant his comments to personally attack any of the models.

"I think the industry for a long time has copped criticism over models that are too skinny, and at yesterday's show we had models who were too fat," he said.
Read Editor Slammed in full


Eating Disorders Model Established in London
The London Free Press

A treatment program for adults with eating disorders - the first of its kind in Ontario - is to be based in London.

Its operating cost is $2.4 million and it will treat as many as 100 people a year in both a residential centre and as out-patients.

"What we need to do is establish continuity of care . . . across all phases of the illness" and with people of all ages, Health Minister Deb Matthews said Tuesday.

Psychiatrists, nurses, dietitians and nurse practitioners will together be part of the new adult program, to be set up through London Health Sciences Centre, where a publicly funded program already exists for children and teens with eating disorders.

"There's no place in the world like this that has the team approach," said Kelly Hall-Holland, who heads the London-based Eating Disorders Foundation of Canada. "It's a dream come true."

The location of the residential centre hasn't been decided.

Hall-Holland hopes the group can make use of the former Cuddy home in Strathroy, which sits on an estate owned by Fanshawe College and is used for the school's horticultural program.

The estate's serene, pastoral atmosphere would be ideal as a residential setting for people with eating disorders, Hall-Holland said.

"They need the most calming atmosphere possible."

Her daughter Michale died in 2009 at age 27 after a battle with anorexia. That struggle spanned more than a decade and included treatment at a private clinic in California because none was available in Ontario.
Read ED Model London in full


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Inspirational Recovery Quotes: Positivity

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.
Wade Boggs

You are capable of much more than you are presently thinking, imagining, doing or being.
Myles Munroe

Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude is going to determine how you're going to live your life.
Joel Osteen

If we think happy thoughts, we will be happy. If we think miserable thoughts, we will be miserable.
Dale Carnegie

Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.
Mahatma Gandhi

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.
Arthur Rubinstein

Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.
Hans Selye

A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for success.
Joyce Brothers

A man is literally what he thinks.
James Allen

I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
Hellen Keller

I think anytime you can affect people in general, in a positive way, then you're a lucky individual.
Sam Elliott

Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive.
Matt Cameron

I believe that you should gravitate to people who are doing productive and positive things with their lives.
Nadia Comaneci

You must not, under any pretense, allow your mind to dwell on any thought that is not positive, constructive, optimistic, kind.
Emmet Fox

When the going got tough, I really had to draw on many of the same competitive instincts I did when I was skating. I really had to put my head down and stay positive. I had to fight.
Peggy Fleming

Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right.
Henry Ford

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.
James Allen

I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley

Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will. 
Zig Ziglar

It is better to believe than to disbelieve; in so doing, you bring everything to the realm of possibility.
Albert Einstein

You've done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.
Ralph Marston

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
Anthony D'Angelo

It takes but one positive thought when given a chance to survive and thrive to overpower an entire army of negative thoughts.
Robert H. Schuller

We succeed in enterprises which demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those which can also make use of our defects.
Alexis de Tocqueville

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results.
Willie Nelson

Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable, or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same.
Francesca Reigler

Question: Why are we Masters of our Fate, the captains of our souls? Because we have the power to control our thoughts, our attitudes. That is why many people live in the withering negative world. That is why many people live in the Positive Faith world.
Alfred A. Montapert

We tend to live up to our expectations.
Earl Nightingale

When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.
Harriet Beecher Stowe

There are always flowers for those who want to see them.
Henri Matisse

There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge.
Napoleon Hill

Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitable bring about right results.
James Allen

The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.
William James

That's my gift. I let that negativity roll off me like water off a duck's back. If it's not positive, I didn't hear it. If you can overcome that, fights are easy.
George Foreman

You should also appreciate the goodness around you, and surround yourself with positive people.
Nadia Comaneci

Positive feelings come from being honest about yourself and accepting your personality, and physical characteristics, warts and all; and, from belonging to a family that accepts you without question.
Willard Scott

To me every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle.
Walter Chrysler

The greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind. As you think, so shall you be.
William James

Like success, failure is many things to many people. With Positive Mental Attitude, failure is a learning experience, a rung on the ladder, a plateau at which to get your thoughts in order and prepare to try again.
W. Clement Stone

Fortunes gravitate to men whose minds have been prepared to attract them just as surely as water gravitates to the ocean.
Napoleon Hill

People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong ... Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom
Thich Nhat Hanh

A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.
Mahatma Gandhi

Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.
Babe Ruth

Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in experience and achievement.
Edward Rickenbacker

If I can inspire someone to go in a positive way and pursue a dream, it can only be good.
Parminder Nagra

The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.
Unknown

Optimism is the one quality more associated with success and happiness than any other.
Brian Tracy

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.
Proverb 23:7 Bible

Few things in the world are more powerful than a positive push. A smile. A world of optimism and hope. A "you can do it" when things are tough.
Richard M. DeVos

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
Winston Churchill

There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative.
W. Clement Stone

The most expensive piece of real estate is the six inches between your right and left ear. It’s what you create in that area that determines your wealth. We are only really limited by our mind.
Dolf de Roos

I want my life to effect the balance to the positive.
Mira Sorvino

Those who wish to sing, always find a song.
Swedish Proverb

Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.
Albert Einstein

Frustration, although quite painful at times, is a very positive and essential part of success.
Bo Bennett

A lot of times people look at the negative side of what they feel they can't do. I always look on the positive side of what I can do.
Chuck Norris

Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity  Successful men act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results.
William James

If you think about disaster, you will get it. Brood about death and you hasten your demise. Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience.
Swami Vivekananda

Play like you're positive on the victory, even though they're leading big now.
Knute Rockne

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence.
Helen Keller

Where men of judgment creep and feel their way, the positive pronounce without dismay.
William Cowper

Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats.
Voltaire

What happens is not as important as how you react to what happens.
Thaddeus Golas

The actual danger is nothing, and the positive advantages very great.
William John Wills

Winners make a habit of manufacturing their own positive expectations in advance of the event.
Brian Tracy

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.
Chinese Proverb

Got no checkbooks, got no banks, still I'd like to express my thanks -
I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.
Irving Berlin

Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress.
Nicholas Murray Butler

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is," said Christopher Robin.
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."
A.A. Milne

**See sidebar menus for more Inspirational Recovery Quotes and Recovery Quotes of the Week

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Maggie Goes On A Diet: A Children's Book























First, let me say that I haven't read this book. It will be available in October. I have, though, read the author's description and those at sites taking advance orders. They are shared below.

In the book, Maggie Goes On A Diet, the focus is on Maggie's weight, her low self-esteem, and the cure ... dieting.  The cover shows a girl standing in front of a mirror, holding a frilly, pink dress that is too small for her, gazing at the smiling reflection of a smaller version of herself.

On the publisher's site Paul Michael Kramer describes the book:
Maggie has so much potential that has been hiding under her extra weight. This inspiring story about a 14 year old who goes on a diet and is transformed from being overweight and insecure to a normal sized teen who becomes the school soccer star. Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self image.
Barnes and Noble lists the book appropriate for 6-12 year olds. Their description:
This book is about a 14 year old girl who goes on a diet and is transformed from being extremely overweight and insecure to a normal sized girl who becomes the school soccer star. Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self image.
Amazon lists the book  appropriate for 4-8 year olds. Their description is the same as Barnes and Noble's.

The author states that "Maggie has so much potential that has been hiding under her extra weight," as if she cannot feel secure or reach her potential unless she diets, loses enough to be considered NORMAL weight, and uncovers it.

Dieting is not the answer. (Diet Myths and Eating Disorders) Does the author not know the connection between diets and eating disorders, or the ever growing issue of low self-esteem and body image?

Eating disorders are being reported in younger and younger children. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, in the US the number of children under the age of 12 who have been hospitalized for an eating disorder has increased by 119% from 1999-2006
  • More than 50% of 10 year old girls wish they were thinner
  • 8 million people in the US suffer from an ED with 90% being women/girls 
  • 90 percent of women with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25
  • 80% of children are afraid of being fat
  • 1 in every 100-200 adolescent girls are affected by Anorexia
  • Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents
  • Estimated: 11% of high school students have been diagnosed with an eating disorder
  • 8 out 10 women are not happy with their reflection
  • In your lifetime 50,000 people will die as a direct result of their Eating Disorder. 
 Find more stats here


    ABC did a report on the book. Here is one excerpt:
    ...But that storybook plot line doesn't reflect what happens in real children's lives, warned Joanne Ikeda, a nutritionist emeritus at


    Highlighting imperfections in a boy's or girl's body "does not empower a child to adopt good eating habits," Ikeda said.


    In real life, dieting down to a smaller clothing size doesn't guarantee living happily ever after.


    "Body dissatisfaction is a major risk for eating disorders in children all the way up through adulthood," she said.


    Furthermore, role models like Maggie can perpetuate the idea that "if you don't look like Cinderella, you're a failure," Ikeda said. "I wouldn't want a child to read this ... because they might, in fact, try to do this and fail. What is that going to do to their self-esteem?"
    Read ABC in full here.

    Self-esteem and body image issues are a big concern. Children need to be taught that their self-worth is a constant, no matter their appearance. What is important is what is on the inside. They also need to learn to accept others for who they are, no matter what they look like. They need to know that every BODY deserves respect. 

    The focus should never be on dieting and/or appearance. It should not be suggested that life begins as soon as you are thin and that all your dreams will come true if only you lose that weight. That's a dangerous message for any age. Healthy eating, proper nutrition, and healthy exercise should be a positive part of everyone's life, not dieting.

    The Eating Disorders Coalition is asking that you make your voice be heard in this matter.

    What's your opinion? Leave a comment and let us all know.

    *Please note: I don't usually link so heavily in my posts but the volume of information and statistics are too many to list individually and thought it necessary to make them available. 


    ©Weighing The Facts
     

    Recovery Quote Of The Week: August 19, 2011

    I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.
    Arthur Rubinstein


    *See sidebar menus for more Recovery Quotes of the Week and Inspirational Recovery Quotes 


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